Lord, grant that I may always desire more than I can accomplish.

The true work of art is but a shadow of the divine perfection.

A man paints with his brains and not with his hands.

The marble not yet carved can hold the form of every thought the greatest artist has.

I am a poor man and of little worth, who is laboring in that art that God has given me in order to extend my life as long as possible.

Trifles make perfection, and perfection is no trifle.

Every beauty which is seen here by persons of perception resembles more than anything else that celestial source from which we all are come.

Death and love are the two wings that bear the good man to heaven.

If we have been pleased with life, we should not be displeased with death, since it comes from the hand of the same master.

Many believe - and I believe - that I have been designated for this work by God. In spite of my old age, I do not want to give it up; I work out of love for God and I put all my hope in Him.

There is no greater harm than that of time wasted.

The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark.

My soul can find no staircase to Heaven unless it be through Earth's loveliness.

I am still learning.

The best artist has that thought alone Which is contained within the marble shell; The sculptor's hand can only break the spell To free the figures slumbering in the stone.

The best of artists has no conception that the marble alone does not contain within itself.

I cannot live under pressures from patrons, let alone paint.

I live and love in God's peculiar light.

Faith in oneself is the best and safest course.